Bullet Journal Bandwagon and Planners

It’s December. 2014 is ever so quickly coming to an end. It’s almost that time of the year when we start to romanticize the prospect of a new year: a new chapter; a clean slate. With 2015 fast approaching, one of the things most of us start obsessing about: planners and organizers.

I have recently joined the bullet journal bandwagon.

I watched the video a while ago–possibly around the peak of the hype–but was apprehensive to try it out. I take a lot of notes for a lot of different things that aren’t necessarily related and I just couldn’t see how one notebook could hold everything, without being a completely disorganized mess. It doesn’t help either that being organized is something that doesn’t always come naturally to me–it has to be an unrelenting, conscious effort.

[Note: If for some reason you’ve somehow managed miss hearing about bullet journaling in the past, here’s the website complete with an intro video and documentation.]

However, last month the multiple notebooks, sketchbooks and another separate planner finally took it’s toll. I wrote notes about everything. My problem was finding them when I need them. So after days of non-stop deliberating, obsessing and eventual (& inevitable) overthinking, I gave in and decided to give bullet journaling a try.

So far so good.

The main thing I like about the bullet journal: the flexibility. The system is flexible enough that I only need to carry one notebook with me at all times. I no longer need to bring a planner, a meeting notebook and a sketchbook everywhere–especially when I have to travel very light.

That being said, I have not completely abandoned my hundreds of notebooks (Not an actual figure, just an exaggeration. I’m sure you get the point). While I am not getting an actual 2015 planner, I am still keeping my sketchbooks and dedicated notebooks for business and photography. You might think, “Well Denise, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of bullet journaling? You’re supposed to funnel everything into one notebook!”

Well, not really. I use the journal as a daily brain dump. I jot down note, to-dos, reminders, factoids, etc. into the journal. Then when it’s time to connect the dots and more extensively explore a topic (for example, a Photography technique that I am learning), the go to a dedicated notebook (or file).

Not convinced that the Bullet Journal is for you?

That’s okay. We all process information differently and not all systems work for everyone. You could check out some free printables I’ve previously made and see if they work for you. I will still be posting them on my fridge, especially for shared tasks and chores around the house. You may clink on any of the pictures below.

BLOG POST PLANNERS:

TRAVEL CHECKLIST: (two versions available)

WEEKLY PLANNER SHEETS:

I am always interested to know what everyone else does to keep their daily (and professional) lives organized. Any specific methods that worked better for you in the past? If you like these kinds of posts or find any of the printables useful let me know. Or if you have any suggestions on how to make these printables more useful, let me know!